A Bird in the Hand
by Izumichan31
Summary: The decision to choose music over tennis was a difficult one, but there are other things that can be just as difficult. M/M Niou/Ohtori


A Bird in the Hand

It was Choutarou's first week of high school. He made his way to the tennis courts to watch practice. He wasn't in the tennis club anymore. It had taken a lot of thought and most of the break before school had started for him to decide to join the orchestra club instead.

Unlike middle school, tennis and orchestra practice overlapped each other and there had been no way he would have been able to do both. Though, he didn't regret his decision, he still missed playing tennis. Not that he couldn't still play every now and then at the street courts, it was just strange not going to practice with everyone like he had been for the last three years. So he decided to start going to watch whenever he could.

Atobe was captain again. There was no surprise about that. He was sure that Hiyoshi would be a regular soon also. There were other faces he sort of recognized besides his ex-teammates. Other players from other schools that had transferred to Hyoutei. Even though Hiyoshi was in a few of his classes, the other high school first year had yet to inform him of everyone.

He looked around and tried to name all of the players that he could. There was Kurobane and Kisarazu from Rokkaku, and Ibu from Fudoumine. He blinked when he saw Kaidoh Kaoru of Seigaku. He remembered Hiyoshi telling him something about Kaidoh transferring to Hyoutei, but he hadn't exactly believed him.

Choutarou let his eyes wander to where a few are having practice doubles matches. He was surprised to see Shishido there. He thought his now ex-doubles partner was going to go back to playing singles. But, he's more surprised by who he's playing doubles with. Rikkai's Niou Masaharu. He would never have thought a Rikkai player would have transferred to Hyoutei.

It was strange to see Shishido playing with someone who wasn't him. The coach must have set up these matches. He didn't think Atobe would have. He watched to see how the match would end. They were playing against Mukahi and... Chinen of Higa? He wondered where Oshitari was. He didn't see him. Was he not on the team anymore also?

In the end, Shishido and Niou lost. Choutarou wasn't surprised. Their combination was horrible and Niou didn't seem to be playing seriously at all. Ohtori could tell Shishido knew that also. After practice, Choutarou wasted no time in waving down his old teammates and Shishido. They hadn't had the chance to hang out in a while despite promises (from the both of them) to do something every now and then. He had managed to hang out with Hiyoshi because the other made sure that he didn't forget. They'd known each other since elementary school after all.

*i*i*

The first time Choutarou had spent any time alone with Niou he had supposed to have been meeting Shishido at the street courts.

He stopped walking when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He fished the mobile device out of it and looked at the screen. Shishido's name flashed across it. He pressed the talk button and put the phone to his ear.

He wondered what the other could be calling for. "Shishido-san?"

"Hey Choutarou." The older male's voice sounded slightly apologetic.

"What is it?"

"Something came up." Oh... So that was it. "I won't be able to play today. Sorry."

"It's alright Shishido-san." Well this was disappointing. "I'll um... I'll just find something else to do." He had been looking forward to playing with his senpai almost the whole week.

Shishido sighed on the other end. "I'll make it up to you next week."

Choutarou nodded before remembering that Shishido couldn't see him. "Okay..." He tried not to sound too disappointed. "I'll talk to you later." He waited for Shishido to respond before hanging up with a sigh.

What was he going to do now? He could call and see if Hiyoshi wanted to play a game with him, but he decided against it. Hiyoshi was probably busy with Kaidoh. He didn't want to interrupt anything. He could go home, but that meant that he wasted his time even coming here. Of course there was always playing a random game with someone that was here, but honestly none of the players around looked like they would be much of a challenge. He sighed. Home it would be. He did still have some homework to finish anyway.

"Oi!"

Choutarou turned in the direction of the call. He blinked when he saw Niou heading towards him. "Niou-san?"

"Yo." The older male stopped and looked around. "Where's what's his face? Your partner?" He looked around again.

Choutarou tilted his head to the side. "Shishido-san's busy." He didn't remember either of them telling Niou that they would be coming to the street courts today.

"Damn too bad. I was hoping to mess with him some more." Niou shoved a hand into his pocket and brought the other up to scratch the back of his head.

"Why would you want to do that?"

Niou shrugged and looked at him. "Cause it's fun." There was a moment of silence before Niou spoke again. "What are you doing now that he not gonna show up?"

"Nothing really." Choutarou answered. He eyed Niou warily. He had heard all about how Niou liked to play tricks. He had even had to listen to all of Shishido's complaints about him. However, his was slightly curious as to why Niou was at Hyoutei and not Rikkai.

"Play a game with me then."

"Okay..." He set down his tennis bag and unzipped it before pulling out his racket as Niou did the same. He took a deep breath as he stood on one side of the court. He hadn't played in a while and he hoped that he didn't play too terribly. He waited until Niou said he was ready before he tossed the ball into the air.

"Ikyuu... nyuu... kon!"

*i*i*

Choutarou panted as he plopped down onto a bench. It had been a tough match. If Niou had been playing like he had today, he and Shishido might have won their match against Gakuto and Chinen. Niou had made him work for every point he got and he eventually had won in the end. 6-4.

He smiled to the other as Niou sat next to him and handed the older male a bottle of water that would have been Shishido's. "Good game."

Niou nodded and took a drink of his water. "He talks a lot about you."

"Huh?" Choutarou gave Niou a questioning glance.

"Shishido. He obviously prefers you as a partner over me." Niou leaned back. "The only reason we play together is because the coach refuses to get that we don't play well together."

"I think you both would play great together if you actually cooperate." Choutarou commented after a moment. Niou gave him a look and he laughed a little. "Shishido-san is stubborn." It wasn't that he wanted Shishido to play doubles with someone else, he really didn't, but he honestly thought the two could be a great team if they really took the time to at least try and cooperate.

"But isn't he your partner?"

Choutarou sighed. "I think that's kind of irrelevant now that I'm not playing anymore. I mean, I think that he could play well with someone else if he tried." He bit his lip.

Niou took another drink of his water. "But that only works if the someone else decides they wanna try also."

Choutarou sighed. He guessed that he would end that conversation there for the moment. There was still the other thing that he wanted to know. "May I ask you something Niou-san?"

"You just did so ask away."

"Why is it that you're here at Hyoutei and not at Rikkai?"

Niou was silent. For a moment, Choutarou thought that he wouldn't get an answer.

"My parents had to move. My dad found better work over here and to make it easier for him, he moved moved us all closer to his new job."

"Oh..."

"I didn't wanna leave Rikkai." Niou continued.

Well that kind of sucked. He would hate it if his family suddenly decided to move and he couldn't go to Hyoutei anymore. Though, moving probably wouldn't be that much of a problem. Hyoutei had dorms. Niou probably missed his old teammates. It must be tough to not be able to see them whenever he wanted to. Choutarou was only in a different club and he missed the Hyoutei team. He could only imagine how Niou felt.

"But enough about that." Niou stood. "I'm kinda hungry."

Choutarou's own stomach growled a moment later. "I guess I am to."

"What's a good place to eat around here?"

Choutarou smiled and put away his tennis things before picking up his tennis bag. He led the other to a small restaurant he liked. Usually, he came here with Hiyoshi or Shishido.

When they entered, they ordered their food and took their seats. They talked as they ate. Mostly about their families since Choutarou didn't know what else to say. Choutarou told Niou about his family and he learned that Niou had a younger brother and an older sister. Overall, everything went over well and Choutarou thought that maybe Niou wasn't as bad as he had originally thought he was.

*i*i*

The following school week, Niou made a show of being way too friendly around Choutarou (especially when Shishido was around). It didn't help at all when he continued to say that he didn't mind the friendliness at all.

That same week, Niou had put itching powder or something to that effect in Shishido's hat. How Niou was alone with Shishido's hat long enough to do that, Choutarou had no idea. Shishido almost never let the hat out of his sight.

Later he had actually somehow cornered Niou asking him if he would 'please not do that again'.

After that, somehow he had found himself hanging out with Niou more and more often.

*i*i*

It wasn't until a few weeks later that he began to think about anything other than friendship for Niou. And, he completely blamed Hiyoshi for that.

"Do you like him?" Hiyoshi asked as they put away their tennis gear. They had chosen to play a game of tennis this weekend since neither one of them had had nothing planned.

It wasn't difficult for Choutarou to figure out what he was talking about. Niou. "Um..." He paused in his movement to put away his racket. "I..."

Hiyoshi finished putting away his things. "I wouldn't think that it would be that hard of a question." He swung the bag over his shoulder. "You two are always together, right?"

Choutarou shrugged. "It's really not like that..." Since when did Hiyoshi get involved with someone else's issues? "Niou-san is just always around." Yeah, that was it.

Hiyoshi shrugged. "I guess, but you cancel plans with Shishido-senpai and me to hang out with him." He waited for Choutarou to finish putting away his things. "Or you already have plans with him when either one of us ask."

Choutarou blinked. "I haven't canceled on you two..." He placed his bag over his shoulder.

"You haven't yet..." Hiyoshi motioned for him to follow. "Come on let's go eat."

Choutarou nodded and followed Hiyoshi to the small restaurant where they ate. The walk was quiet and he knew they would continue the conversation when they got there. He was almost dreading it.

"So..." Hiyoshi started after they had arrived, took their seats, and ordered. "Do you like him?"

"I don't know..."

"It already looks like you two are dating." Hiyoshi said.

Choutarou blushed. Did Hiyoshi have to be so blunt? "That's not my fault..."

It was Niou that had first initiated contact with him. Niou, who bothered him all of the time. Not that he thought Niou was a bother or anything. If he had, he would have said something.

"Niou-san is just hard to get rid of." Not that he tried to get rid of him. Choutarou leaned back in his seat. "Besides, I doubt he likes me like that even if I liked him..." When had everything gotten so complicated?

Hiyoshi tilted his head. "How do you know he doesn't like you? He's the one that comes to you, right?"

Choutarou thought for a moment. That was true. Niou did often seek him out. He shook his head. No Niou also liked annoying Shishido do also. "He just likes bothering me. That's all."

Hiyoshi rolled his eyes. "You're in denial." He stopped speaking when the waitress came by with their food.

"I'm not in denial." Choutarou said when the waitress walked away. "And since when did you care about someone else's business?"

"You're my best friend. And since you kept meddling with Kaoru and me." Hiyoshi took a bite out of his food.

Choutarou sighed. His friend was right about that. He had meddled quite a bit in Hiyoshi's relationship with Kaidoh last year. It was mostly just advice however. And it had been for the other's own good.

"But that was different." Choutarou pouted. "You told me you liked Kaidoh-kun."

"No, you almost forced it out of me." Hiyoshi countered.

So that was how it was going to be. Hiyoshi probably wasn't going to let up on this subject any time soon. Though, it didn't mean he wasn't going to try and stop the other.

"Hiyoshi... I don't like Niou-san like that..." He poked at his food. He wasn't even hungry anymore. "Besides, Shishido-san would probably freak out..." He raised a hand to scratch the back of his head. Shishido had been increasingly more of a mother hen lately and the older teen really didn't like Niou.

"Who care what he thinks." Hiyoshi said. "It's not his decision. He's not the one who has to date Niou-senpai. You think too much about everyone else when making decisions for yourself."

Choutarou opened his mouth to speak, but closed it a moment later. That was true. It had taken him a long time to make his choice between music and tennis club. And, mostly it had been because he was worried about what everyone else would think of his decision. Music had been his main choice he entire time.

"But..."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Hiyoshi continued to eat his food while Choutarou started on his own. It wasn't long before they both were finished. They payed for their food and left a tip before leaving.

They talked for a bit more before they had to split up. Choutarou stood for a moment and watched Hiyoshi's back as he left. He shook his head and started home. He had a lot to think about.

*i*i*

Choutarou sighed as he sat by himself and ate lunch. In a few minutes he would have to go back to class. He rested his head on the table he was sitting at. He was tired. He had been up most of the night thinking about his conversation with Hiyoshi the day before. Earlier, he had nearly fallen asleep in his first two classes of the day.

He was planing on avoiding Niou as best as he could today. At least until he sorted out his feelings. It wasn't as though he'd never liked anyone before. He had liked Shishido. But that had been back in middle school and he never said anything about it. He had liked Hiyoshi. But, Hiyoshi liked Kaidoh and he had help his friend with that. And now, there was Niou. He ran a hand through his hair. How was he going to deal with this?

"Think too hard and you'll hurt yourself..."

Choutarou turned his head to look in Niou's direction. He blushed when he realized how close Niou was. Did the older male not understand anything about personal space? Apparently not.

He stood up quickly, making up a quick excuse before leaving the other at the table.

It continued that way for a week and eventually Niou had managed to corner him. Apparently, he knew when he was being ignored and Hiyoshi might have tipped him off. Choutarou decided that he was not going to speak to Hiyoshi for a week.

Niou laughed at him and called him cute. Choutarou actually pouted. Apparently, Hiyoshi had told him a lot more than he was ignoring Niou. Choutarou opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off by Niou's mouth. His face reddened and he wondered just how much meddling Hiyoshi had done.

In the end, it really didn't matter he guessed as he kissed the other back.


End file.
